Finished Project: Tropical Bikini

I actually made this one last year but didn’t get around to photographing it til the pool opened this year! I was dying for a tropical print swimsuit, so I got on it. I used a bralette pattern from Ohhh Lulu for this one and it came out perfectly.

This one originally had a matching floral bottom, but since I started going back to the gym after COVID quarantining from it for over a year, I’ve built more muscle in my thighs than my old bikini bottoms can contain. I am planning on updating the existing bottoms for these to fit better!

Finished Project: Spooky Undies

I just got into making undergarments! It’s fun and fast, even if it does need a few fiddly bits of supplies. One of my recents is a fun pair of panties made from a fun fabric I found on Spoonflower:

I didnt get too many pictures because putting lewds of myself on the internet is not my thing, but they were a fun make from a self-made pattern. The main fabric is a cotton knit, and the panels are a stretch mesh from JoAnn. I bought my elastic from Stitch Love Studio, which has tons of great lingerie and swimsuit sewing supplies!

So, yeah, I’d definitely recommend sewing your own undies. Evie la Luve and Ohhh Lulu have some great patterns with detailed instructions.

Finished Project: Condom Print Mask

As a public health professional, I’ve been sewing hundreds of masks to give away both to friends and family, and at my job. I’ve also sewn a few for my household, and this is my newest one: behold, the Condom Mask!

How do you know someone is a sex educator? Don’t worry, they’ll wear a mask with condoms on it.

Finished Project: Jeans, Extra Dark Denim Edition

I sure make a lot of pairs of jeans. But, they are such a useful garment, I can’t stop making them! I decided I needed an almost-black pair, so I bought myself some nice stretch denim I found at JoAnn’s, and here we are: brand spanking-new custom fit jeans.

I like my jeans kinda long, so I added extra length to the hem. I didn’t even think they were quite long enough after I made them, so I added a tiny bit of length in the form of a cuff, made to look like a hem at the bottom, and it turned out alright. This denim was also stretchier than the last I used – each denim is a little different – so I had to take the legs in a bit, and I put a bit of elastic in the back. It’s not noticeable when it’s on, but it adds a bit of comfort and keeps the waistband in place better.

Honestly I’ve got my jeans game down at this point, now that I’ve made so many pairs. It probably takes less time for me to make myself a pair than it would to go shopping and find a pair that fits off the rack, and definitely less expensive than a good pair of ready-to-wear.

As always, I have deep pockets and a cute button. Not shown: I lined the pockets with a polka dot fabric!

I still feel a little iffy about the waistband – I wish I’d lined it with a non-stretch fabric because it puckers a bit – but overall I’m quite happy with the fit and look.

Finished Project: Gray Skinny Jeans

I am really on a jeans-sewing roll, lately, it seems. And I think this is my favorite pair yet. I got a JoAnn’s gift card for Christmas so I used it in part to purchase a gray stretch denim. Unlike the last denim I bought at JoAnn, this one seems pretty sturdy, yet comfortable. I used the Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans, which I usually use for pants, but I’ve heavily modified them to fit my body the way I want them to, including lengthening, changing the thight/waist ratio, and making changes to the width of the pants at different points of the leg, so that they are fitted at the top, and looser toward the bottom, with a bit of extra length – just how I like to wear my jeans.

As usual, I added extra large pockets – if you are a woman you know that most women’s pants come with tiny (or sometimes nonexistant) pockets. These ones are roomy, and as I like to do, lined with a fun printed fabric – in this case, blue plaid.

The rear pockets and yoke detail. Check out that topstitching.

I feel like I’ve gotten pretty good at making pants at this point. I am thinking of delving into some more work-appropriate pants next. It’s just such a pain to find pants that fit in the store – I’d much rather do my own custom jeans, and it usually ends up costing less than a new pair of RTW jeans.

Here they are with boots on.

Albany, NY: Kim’s Guide

I have now been living in Albany, NY for almost four months. Before moving here, I had only been here twice – once for my job interview, and once to look at apartments after I accepted the position. I am happy to report that I love my job, and I’m really getting to know the city. I’m settling in well.

Now that I’ve been here for a while, I think it’s about time I post an Albany guide. It’s a very cute little city, close to the Adirondacks and the Catskills. It’s about an hour to Lake George and two to the Lake Placid area. But it’s also a great place in its own right.

The first place I checked out in Albany was Washington Park. This is located fairly centrally and is the biggest park in the city. It’s large, has numerous walking paths, a river, gardens, and an ampitheater where performances are held in the summer.

image from Times Union

image from newyorkupstate.com

Just a few blocks away from the park is Lark Street, which is where many of the bars, restaurants, and shops are located. Highlights include Berben and Wolff’s, an extremely popular vegan lunch spot; Savoy Taproom, a moderately fancy bar with cocktails, craft beers, and friendly bartenders; several tattoo and piercing parlors; and three different coffee shops.

image from Discover Albany

Downtown Albany is also worth visiting. To me, the Palace Theater stands out the most, with its lighted, blinking marquee advertising upcoming shows. There are also numerous restaurants, bars, and cafes downtown. Of the ones I’ve been to so far, I’m very partial to The Hollow – they serve vegan wings, as well as a variety of delicious craft beers and cocktails. Also worth checking out is the Capitol Building, which is said to be the most expensive one in the United States, and the downtown SUNY campus, a gorgeous old building on Broadway.

image from The Kinderhook Group

If you like art museums, the Albany Institute of History and Art is your best bet. When I went, it was a free admission day, and they had a Victorian fashion exhibit, which is of course right up my alley. They also have an excellent collection of work from the famed Hudson River School.

image from albanyinstitute.org

There are two major blogs I like to follow to keep up with Albany goings-on: All Over Albany and Keep Albany Boring. All Over Albany is very frequently updated with news, events, and other tidbits relating to our fair city. Keep Albany Boring doesn’t post as frequently as All Over Albany, but has a great weekly list of things to do over the weekend, posted on Fridays. Times Union is the online newspaper for Albany and the surrounding region.

Nearby, there are excellent hiking and skiing areas, small and quaint towns, and lots of state parks. If you like the outdoors, Albany is a great place to visit or live. Winter can be a little rough but honestly it’s not much worse than your typical New England weather.

Are you convinced of Albany’s coolness now? I was skeptical at first, but now that I’ve lived here, I see that it’s a great place to live. Although I miss Hartford, that’s not because Albany is lacking in any way. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that cost of living is lower! 😉 I would say that this city is definitely worth a visit, be it en route to the Adirondacks or Catskills, or in its own right.

My Sewing Goals for 2018

I believe that having sewing goals is a great way to keep productive and sew beautiful things, and to help motivate. So here I am, at the beginning of 2018, and it’s time to make some goals for the year. Here goes!

1. Develop my personal style. My style has evolved a lot in the past few years. Previously I’ve gravitated toward the ultra-feminine, 1950s aesthetic. While I still appreciate and draw inspiration from that kind of look, I have been making more androgynous and casual fashion choices of late. I love sewing dresses, but most no longer fit into my lifestyle, and I have quite a selection in my closet at this point for the rare occasion that I do need to dress up. Instead, I’d like to start making items that complete my current wardrobe; to do this, I need to better develop my idea of my style. This is where websites like Pinterest come in handy. My first step for this will be to create a mood board from which to draw inspiration.
2. Plan my sewing. I think all of us are prone to purchasing things impulsively because they look cute without considering how they will work into our closets. I want to work on thinking hard and carefully selecting materials for each of my projects, to create quality pieces that will easily blend into my existing wardrobe.
3. Take on at least one difficult project. The best way to learn new sewing techniques is to tackle something you’ve never tried before. Last year, this was jeans, as well as corsetry. This year, I don’t yet have an idea, but I am thinking on it.  I want to work in more techniques from my couture sewing book, as well.
4. Set aside time each day to sew. This can be difficult when you’re working full time, but even just putting in fifteen minutes in a day is progress. I am pretty good about this most days, but it’s harder in the winter for me due to seasonal depression.
5. Blog more varied content. I love posting my sewing projects, but I also think it’s nice to take a break and show other craft projects I’ve created, or talk about sewing and fashion outside of the context of my own work.

There you have it. I think I may print out some version of this list to display near my sewing machine to remind me of my goals. Sewing is like therapy for me – it’s my best creative outlet, but it takes planning and goal-setting to really excel at it.

Custom Ouija Board by Lindsey Pellino

My close friend, poet, and fellow creative type Lindsey has been very into woodburning as her art medium for the past year or so. She makes very cool work, and when I saw the wood Ouija board she made herself a few months ago, I knew I needed one. She kindly made me one that even glows in the dark, and it looks amazing!

If you’re interested in her work, get in touch with me and I can hook you up. She’s very talented!

Providence, RI: Kim’s Guide

One thing I really like to do in addition to sewing is traveling. I enjoy taking day or weekend trips when I have the time to local cities and (in the summer) hiking destinations. This past weekend, my boyfriend Seth and I took a drive to Providence. One of our very first dates was at Nice Slice, a pizza place I like a lot in Providence, so he wanted to go back in lieu of our anniversary.

The drive from Hartford is about an hour and a half. Since it goes through Eastern Connecticut,  there aren’t really any good highway routes to get there, so we went via state highways and back roads. It’s a nice drive, and pretty easy even without using a GPS since there are a ton of signs pointing you to Providence.

When we got there, we immediately went to Nice Slice to fuel up with delicious vegan pizza. We ordered the vegan buffalo chicken pizza. It was $23, which is a little steep for pizza, but it was good, and at least they don’t charge more for vegan pizzas than regular pizzas, which is common practice at places that serve vegan options. Keep in mind that there’s no bathroom, though! This became a problem when we both discovered we had to pee after our drive to Providence. We did discover that CVS about a block away does have a public bathroom.

Next we went to a military surplus shop, which was about what you’d expect for a military surplus shop – fairly inexpensive utilitarian clothes. It was fine – I didn’t buy anything, but that was just because I didn’t really need anything.

After that, we took a ride to a queer-owned erotica shop. As someone who takes an interest in sex education, I’m always interested to see adult shops that claim not to be your stereotypical creepy, seedy shop where you get ogled by dirty old men. This place was clean and friendly and had a lot of educational material, plus it was one of the most inclusive shops I’ve ever seen. It included items for all interests, orientations, genders, etc. I was very impressed. It was (appropriately) called Mister Sister.

We then drove to Evolution Piercing, which I had heard positive things about online. I had been planning to get a second set of lobe ear piercings, so I figured I’d give it a shot at Evolution. Chantal, the piercer working that night, was very friendly and explained everything. The jewelry selection was fantastic, especially considering how small a shop it was. I ended up getting some surgical steel small rings for my existing lobe piercings since I have sensitive skin, and small opals set in steel for my new set. The prices were reasonable, and Seth was pleased to see they were having a sale on plugs, and bought a nice pair of green glass plugs for $10.

Last, in true Kim and Seth tradition, we found a brewery to end our day with. We went to Union Station Brewery, which is right near – you guessed it – Union Station. It was pretty good. I ordered a stout and he ordered an IPA, and we shared a hummus appetizer. The food and drinks were good (not great), and the service was very good. I thought it was a bit overpriced but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

I picked up a pint glass to add to my collection at home. (That reminds me, maybe one of these days I should start reviewing breweries I visit – I have quite a few that I could review at this point).

It is worth noting that it was an absolute ghost town everywhere. It was a Sunday, so if you like free parking and dislike crowds, that might be the best day to go visit Providence. We didn’t have any issues with too many places being closed on Sundays, either – there just wasn’t anyone out, despite the relatively nice weather.

One thing I do want to get to on my next visit to Rhode Island is the RISD art museum. We were thinking of going but didn’t end up having the time. Hopefully soon!

 

Finished: Chambray shirt dress

I have been really into chambray for the past few seasons, and a few months ago I decided I definitely wanted a gray chambray shirt dress in my wardrobe. I researched patterns and settled on the Rosa pattern by Tilly and the Buttons. I had a few fit issues with the pattern which I will discuss below, but after some effort I am quite happy with the finished product.

The main issue I had with this pattern was thhat it just has too much ease. I know it’s not supposed to be a form-fitting pattern, but I didn’t want to feel like I was wearing a sack, either. I cut a size based on the finished item  measurements (rather than the size chart measurements) and it still came out too large. I ended up taking in the seams quite a bit. I also shortened the hem significantly, because it hit below the knees which looked a bit frumpy on me.

Other than that, though, it was a pretty easy pattern to follow and execute. I used a cat-print corduroy as the inside of the collar stand, which makes a cute yet subtle touch.

It just so happens that the hat I am wearing in these photos is also a recent make. I’ve been on a hat making streak lately – I made two for my boyfriend Seth, one as a gift to my friend Brett, and another one as a comission for my friend Tessa. I also made myself one and I’m working on a third for my boyfriend right now.